Home security and monitoring systems have become enormously popular, and in many ways necessary, across the United States and the world in recent years. Different types of systems are used for different purposes. For instance, security systems are generally used to make sure that if the user's home, office, or other structure is broken into, the system may alert the user and/or a monitoring service, so that action can be taken to stop the crime in progress. Additionally, security systems may include lights and sirens to alert neighbors and to deter criminals from spending any more time in the vicinity of the screaming alarms and flashing lights.
In recent years, another type of home monitoring system has become available, wherein the system is used to monitor people and their health. These types of systems generally include a wearable device that is worn by the person whose health is to be monitored, and the wearable device includes sensors that may keep track of and record the user's heart rate, blood pressure, calories burned, along with many other factors. The wearable device may also be used to transmit data wirelessly to a receiving station, particularly if any of the factors fall outside of normal parameters. For instance, if a wearable device senses that a person's blood pressure is dangerously high, the wearable device may transmit a message to the receiving station, which may then relay the message along to medical personnel, a caregiver, a relative or a friend.
Another type of home monitoring system is used to monitor remote properties that may be vacant for extended periods of time, such as vacation homes, rental apartments or condominiums, or the like. Although these systems often do include a security component, they also may include monitors to make sure that major components of the home are working properly. These systems may include temperature monitors to ensure that the temperature inside the home does not fall below freezing during the winter, which may result in frozen or burst pipes within the plumbing. Additionally, other types of sensors may be employed to ensure normal operation, including sensors for monitoring water usage, electricity usage, humidity, smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, and the like.
Various types of security and monitoring systems are also beginning to include “smart house” features, which allow a user to remotely control lighting, appliances, entertainment systems, environmental systems, and the like via smart phones, tablets, or computers.
Additionally, one issue with current home monitoring and security systems is that interaction with the system requires either typing numbers into a keypad, tapping on a touch screen, or using a personalized fob. It would be desirable to provide a system that could respond to oral voice commands from a user, and more particularly, voice commands that could be detected anywhere within the house, apartment, or dwelling. Alternatively, or along with voice recognition throughout the house, it would be advantageous to provide a remote control (particularly an tablet or smartphone) that could receive instructions and execute them based on oral commands, similar to the Siri system provided by Apple Computers or the Amazon Echo.
The following is a list of patents or patent related documents that relate generally to monitoring systems, remote control of electrical devices, and security systems. Each of the following references is hereby incorporated herein by reference:
U.S. Pat. No. 8,421,624—Home Security System
A home security system includes a plurality of monitoring assemblies each comprising a data communication device, a light, a video camera, a transmitter, a sensor, a loudspeaker, a warning device, an identification device, a projector, an adjustment device for adjusting angles of the light, the video camera, and the projector, and a power supply; a fixed controller comprising a data communicating device and a data storage device; and a hand-held portable controller comprising a wireless communication module and an equipment set module. The fixed controller is adapted to activate the monitoring assemblies. The hand-held, portable controller is adapted to remotely activate the monitoring assemblies.Application No. CN 102736587 A—Monitoring and Control Alarming System for Smart HomeThe invention discloses a monitoring and control alarming system for a smart home. The system comprises a control host arranged in an indoor environment, environmental temperature, humidity and toxic gas monitoring equipment, a wireless switch and a portable software terminal. Human health monitoring equipment and a personnel positioning tag are also arranged in the system, wherein the human health monitoring equipment is used for monitoring human health conditions comprising blood pressure, a heart rate and body temperature in real time, and providing a data monitoring interface. A home monitoring and control function is realized, and in addition, problems about the health monitoring and real-time positioning of family members are solved.U.S. Pat. No. 6,828,909—Portable Motion Detector and Alarm System and MethodA portable security alarm system which can be installed on a temporary basis and removed from an object whose movement is to be detected including a motion detecting and radio signal transmitting member for mounting proximate the object whose movement is to be detected, a member for selectively coupling and decoupling the motion detecting and radio signal transmitting member relative to the object whose movement is to be detected, a combined radio signal receiving and alarm generating member for receiving a signal from the combined motion detecting and radio signal transmitting member and producing an alarm, a remote control for actuating and deactuating the radio signal receiving and alarm generating member, and components for providing object identification information identifying the object whose movement is to be detected and distance measurement information for measuring the distance moved by the object.U.S. Pat. No. 6,542,078—Portable Motion Detector and Alarm System and MethodA portable security alarm system which can be installed on a temporary basis and removed from an object whose movement is to be detected including a motion detecting and radio signal transmitting member for mounting proximate the object whose movement is to be detected, a member for selectively coupling and decoupling the motion detecting and radio signal transmitting member relative to the object whose movement is to be detected, a combined radio signal receiving and alarm generating member for receiving a signal from the combined motion detecting and radio signal transmitting member and producing an alarm, a remote control for actuating and deactuating the radio signal receiving and alarm generating member, an information gathering device adapted to receive the predetermined signal, to gather information relating to the movement, and to transmit the information, and a remote notification device adapted to receive the information from the information gathering device, to establish data communication with a remote host, and to provide the information to the remote host.U.S. Pat. No. 8,217,790—Portable Motion Detector and Alarm System and MethodA portable security alarm system including a movement detecting and signal transmitting member for mounting on or proximate to the object whose movement is to be detected, a signal receiving and alarm generating member for receiving a signal from the movement detecting and signal transmitting member and producing a security response, a remote control for actuating and deactuating the signal receiving and alarm generating member, an environmental monitoring member for sensing an environmental condition and providing a signal to the signal receiving and alarm generating member, a visual information gathering member for gathering visual information and providing a signal to the signal receiving and alarm generating member, an audio output member for receiving a signal from the signal receiving and alarm generating member and generating an audio output, and components for delivering a security notification to remote recipients. A security network that includes the alarm system is also disclosed. An inertial sensor for alarm system or for activating or deactivating a device is additionally disclosed.Patent No. CN 202939450—Household Electricity Quantity Monitoring SystemThe utility model relates to a household electricity quantity monitoring system. The household electricity quantity monitoring system comprises an intelligent terminal, a gateway, electricity quantity metering sockets which are used for measuring electricity quantity data, and a household appliance adapter which is used for switching and controlling household appliance modes. The household electricity quantity monitoring system is characterized in that sockets of household appliances are plugged into the electricity quantity metering sockets; the household appliance adapter is connected to the household appliances; the electricity quantity metering sockets and the household appliance adapter are in communications with the gate way through a wireless network One; the gateway is in communication with the intelligent terminal through a wireless network Two; and bidirectional communications are established between the electricity quantity metering sockets and the household appliance adapter with the intelligent terminal through the gateway. The household electricity quantity monitoring system has the following characteristics that: 1) the ZIGBEE network is adopted so as to summary used electricity quantity data of the scattered metering socket and the household appliances, and thus power acquisition and work modes of the household appliances are controlled, long standby time is shortened and service life is prolonged; 2) through the intelligent terminal (with a WIFI module), overall electricity quantity monitoring and management control of the household appliances are realized; and 3) the ZIGBEE is adopted for adaptation to the WIFI protocol, and complexity of the gateway is simplified and mobile adaptability of the entire control system is expanded.U.S. Pat. No. 7,964,989—Method and System for Controlling Power to an Electrically Powered DeviceA system and method for remotely controlling power to an electrically powered device in a simple and efficient manner is disclosed herein. The system comprises an apparatus, an electrically-powered device and a controller. The apparatus comprises a cord, an alternating current outlet socket, an alternating current input plug, a latching relay, a processor and a transceiver. The system preferably uses a WiFi communication signal to transmit commands from the remote controller to the apparatus.WO PCT No. WO2013155559 A1—A Programmable Electrical Control DeviceA programmable electrical control device (10) adapted to be programmed by an external programming device, the programmable electrical control device for controlling electrical power supply in cooperation with an electrical switching device (12), the electrical switching device having a body, an electrical power supply input, an electrical power supply output (15) and a manual switch (16), the device (10) including a data connection module; memory; a timing module; a processor; and a switching module, including at least one supply on period, and at least one supply off period, wherein at least a part of the device (10) is capable of being integrated within the body.U.S. Pat. No. 8,374,729—Smart Electrical Outlets and Associated NetworksA control system (300) allows recognized standard premise electrical outlets, for example NEMA, CEE and BS, among others to be remotely monitored and/or controlled, for example, to intelligently execute blackouts or brownouts or to otherwise remotely control electrical devices. The system (300) includes a number of smart receptacles (302) that communicate with a local controller (304), e.g., via power lines using the TCP/IP protocol. The local controller (304), in turn, communicates with a remote controller (308) via the internet.U.S. Pat. No. 7,394,385—Comprehensive Monitoring SystemA monitoring system for physically challenged clients can have a base hub unit, one or more sensor units, one or more repeater units, and a mobile unit for a client to wear in a residential setting. In an institutional setting, a mobile repeater can be used for monitoring outside premises. A three-axis accelerometer can be used to detect falls and to monitor for other life activities, such as sleeping.Publication No. 20100217096 A1—A Health Monitor and A Method for Health MonitoringA method for health monitoring and a personal health monitor that includes: a band that comprises at least one biometric sensor; and a data connector adapted to fasten a first end of the band to a second end of the band, and is also adapted to be connected to a reception device such as to provide data to the reception device; wherein the data connector is coupled to the at least one biometric sensor.U.S. Pat. No. 9,324,322—Automatic Volume Attenuation for Speech Enabled DevicesA speech recognition system that also automatically recognizes and acts in response to significant audio interruptions. Received audio is compared with stored acoustic signatures of noises which may trigger a change in device operation, such as pausing, loudening or attenuating of content playback after hearing a certain audio interruption, such as a doorbell, etc. If the received audio matches a stored acoustic model, the system alters an operational state of one or more devices, which may or may not include itself.
Most of the residential and commercial monitoring systems available today are expensive and difficult to install, requiring in-wall wiring and trained technicians to perform the installation work. Additionally, once installed, it is difficult to uninstall the systems and move them to another location. Further, many of these existing systems require users to pay a monthly subscription for the monitoring services, which is more expensive than many people can afford. None of the prior art incorporates a system that can provide security features, personnel monitoring, home systems monitoring, remote control smart house capabilities, and a system that includes a voice recognition system that allows a user to operate the system using voice commands.
Therefore, it would be advantageous to provide a programmable wireless remote monitoring and control system that is easy to install and set up, requiring no wiring, and which is portable, so that a user can easily unplug and remove the components from one location and quickly set the system up in another location. Moreover, it would be desirable to provide a system that monitors against burglary and trespass, as well as monitoring people with high-risk medical conditions, and further, that monitors the electrical, plumbing and environmental systems to ensure proper operation. Finally, it would be desirable to provide such a system described above, which would also allow a user to remotely control (either from within the home or building, or from many miles away) certain appliances, lighting, and other electrical devices, and to have the ability to incorporate these electrical devices into the monitoring system, in any desired manner. Additionally, it would be desirable to provide a home monitoring system that could receive oral commands and follow oral instructions from a user. Finally, it would be desirable to provide a system that may be easily programmed by a user to perform various functions, such as macro functions for controlling multiple appliances with one command (or the press of a single button or icon on the remote control), or to perform functions in response to alerts generated by the system.